Butte 52: Week 3 - Caper Acres

Caper Acres is the sort of park that kids love and makes adults wish they were still kids.

It sits in lower Bidwell Park, in Chico. The entrance to the park is a castle drawbridge. Pretty cool, huh? But watch your head, aimed towards kids, the entrance has a clearance of only 5'8". 

My friend Karla brought her outrageously adorable little ones: Donna and Jake. If Karla had a super power, it would be making gorgeous babies. I feel a little cuter just holding one of 'em.

I love this castle, complete with arrow slits for any aspiring 3-foot-tall archers.

While Humpty's paint job has seen better days (the park was built in the 70's), the giant sandbox he sits above still provides endless amusement for little ones.  

Isn't it funny how a big pile o' dirt can entertain kids for hours?

A more recent addition to the park is the pirate ship, complete with super slippery slide.

Jake loved the slide. He couldn't understand why all of the other kids insisted on going down his slide. Oh to share, a difficult concept at one.

I have a feeling this house would have been my favorite as a kid. It has stairs inside to reach the very top. There's an even bigger slide on the other side.

There's a mosaic dragon. Those brave enough can crawl through his mouth and out the other side.

Karla braved the beast, Jake followed.

I remember the sad day in 1st grade, when they removed the teeter-totter from our school's playground. They deemed it unsafe and a liability. Those old wooden teeter-totters, that let you slam you butt on the ground if your "friend" got up too fast, are no more. This see-saw may be safer, but it certainly doesn't look as fun.

Young Blue Eyes

What are they teaching kids? If you're thirsty enough, you'll stick your head in a lion's mouth. Even so, I like the lion's stubby little legs. I seem to be drawn toawrds animals with legs too short for their body.

Even the bathrooms are in a castle.

Thanks to my favorite little models, Donna and Jake, for letting me "drag" them to the park to play.